Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Ten Meters

After ending the video call, Yasui Makoto headed for the bedroom door, deep in thought.

Tokai Teio's proposal kept circling in his mind, leaving him both excited and faintly uneasy about this possible trip overseas.

As he walked, he vaguely heard some movement outside the door. He froze for a second, then instinctively quickened his pace and reached out to open it.

Outside, Kitasan Black and Almond Eye were both pressed up against the door in the unmistakable act of eavesdropping.

They clearly had not reacted in time. The moment the door swung open, both of them lost their balance and tumbled straight to the floor.

Kitasan Black ended up on the bottom, flustered, bracing herself with both hands against the ground, her hair slightly disheveled.

Almond Eye landed on top of her, looking just as panicked.

"...What exactly are you two doing?"

Yasui Makoto looked at the two Umamusume and could not help laughing. "Were you listening outside the whole time?"

At that, the two of them—still tangled together on the floor—lifted and lowered their heads almost in sync, exchanged a glance, and then both gave awkward smiles.

"Uh, well... Trainer, we... if we said we were just passing by..."

Almond Eye was the first to speak, smiling sheepishly, but the more she talked, the smaller her voice became.

"...That sounds way too flimsy, doesn't it...?"

"Uh... actually, we were just curious..."

Kitasan Black gave the same embarrassed smile, blushing as she said, "You were in there for a really long time, Trainer, and we didn't hear much coming from inside, and you didn't say anything before going in, so we just came over to listen a little..."

"We really didn't hear that much..."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm! Right, exactly!"

Almond Eye nodded furiously like a pecking chick and hurried to back her up. "We only heard a tiny bit, not much at all..."

Truth be told, Yasui Makoto found the whole thing more funny than anything else. He had no real issue with it.

And besides, what had been discussed on the video call was something he was going to talk over with them anyway.

So after a moment's thought, he first drew his brows together slightly, put on a stern face, and said in a deliberately serious tone, "You two... eavesdropping isn't a good habit. Be more careful next time."

"If I were actually discussing something important, then even if I planned to tell you afterward, what you're doing now... still isn't very polite."

In the end, he could not bring himself to scold them harshly. All he really did was call it impolite.

That made not only Almond Eye, but Kitasan Black too, nod like a pecking chick.

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, got it, Trainer. Next time I—no, next time little Almond Eye and I won't do it."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm, we definitely will—no, definitely won't!"

Yasui Makoto laughed, stepped forward, and held out both hands.

"All right, as long as you know. Up you get. The floor's cold—you'll catch one if you stay down there."

After pulling both Umamusume to their feet and brushing the dust off them, Yasui Makoto thought for a moment, then told them about the overseas campaign.

"G-Go abroad?!"

The moment he finished, Kitasan Black's ears perked straight up, her face lighting with excitement.

"Really, Trainer? We're really going overseas? That sounds so interesting!"

Almond Eye looked over too, full of excitement and anticipation, even pointing at herself. "I'm going too, right? That's great! I've never been abroad before!"

"Mm. According to what Teio-kaichou and the others discussed with me, as long as we talk it through on our side and settle things, the three of us will go together afterward."

Yasui Makoto nodded.

"Going abroad to adapt to the environment will be very helpful for your growth."

"And it's also a rare chance to see different racing styles and training methods up close."

"For the time being, I'm not planning to enter you in overseas races, Kita. We're not ready for that yet."

"But if we can work things out, we can still do things like friendly races or training races with overseas Umamusume."

"That also means we'll be facing a lot of challenges, so we need to prepare properly."

At that, Kitasan Black clenched her fists and declared with full determination, "I'm not afraid of challenges, Trainer! No matter what difficulties come up, I'll work hard and overcome them!"

Almond Eye nodded firmly too, her eyes full of refusal to lose.

"Me too. I'll train hard and make sure I don't drag you or Kita-senpai down, Trainer!"

Seeing how fired up they both were, Yasui Makoto felt a warm current rise in his chest, and his own spirits lifted with it.

Looking at the lively Kitasan Black and Almond Eye before him, all sorts of feelings welled up in him, and his thoughts drifted.

From the very first moment they met, Kitasan Black had left an exceptionally deep impression on him.

There was something in her that always felt utterly indomitable, as though nothing in the world could knock her down.

No matter how grueling the training, how powerful the opponent, or how unfavorable the situation in a race became—those clear eyes of hers had always burned with fierce fighting spirit, never once showing the slightest retreat or fear.

As for Almond Eye, while she did not possess Kitasan Black's same outward, striking force of presence, the competitiveness and fighting spirit hidden within her were no less formidable.

Yasui Makoto still remembered the light in her eyes the first time he spoke with her—that longing for victory, that stubborn desire to keep improving herself.

She was like an unpolished gem still being worked and refined. She had not yet fully burst into dazzling brilliance, but the promise already showing through was more than enough to make one look forward to what came next.

After musing on it for a while, Yasui Makoto quickly reined in his thoughts and sat down at the table with the two Umamusume to discuss their training and race schedule in detail.

It was probably Almond Eye's first time taking part in a discussion that required this much real involvement, and for a while she seemed rather uneasy.

She sat there twisting the hem of her clothes without realizing it, her eyes darting now and then toward Yasui Makoto and Kitasan Black. A few times, she looked like she wanted to speak, only to hesitate and swallow the words again.

Thanks to the experience of preparing for the Arima Kinen, Kitasan Black was much more used to this by now, and throughout the discussion it was mostly she and Yasui Makoto doing the talking.

And yet the one whose schedule was settled first was actually Almond Eye.

The entrance assessment for Tracen Academy was set for February, and once it was over, she would be able to apply through the academy for an overseas study trip.

With Tokai Teio helping from the middle, there was no real need to worry about the approval process.

On Kitasan Black's side, they focused first on her training.

Even if they were going overseas, her regular training absolutely could not be allowed to slip.

If they got careless, there was a real chance she would adapt to overseas tracks only to lose her feel for Japanese ones, and that would be completely counterproductive.

After weighing everything together, the two of them ultimately decided on a two-week study trip.

That would give them enough time to properly familiarize themselves with the overseas racing environment, track characteristics, and opponent styles, while also avoiding being away so long that it seriously affected Kitasan Black's adaptation to racing back in Japan.

"Then next comes deciding which two weeks, exactly."

Once they had settled the length of the trip, Yasui Makoto frowned slightly in thought.

"The ideal timing would be late March. That happens to line up with the Dubai World Cup, so if we go then to observe and exchange views, we'll definitely see more and learn more."

At that point, he turned to Kitasan Black.

"But if we do that, then we won't be able to enter the races around that period."

"So, Kita-chan—what do you think?"

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